Can you make the buds change colors?

[Mtt582]

So I’ve been doing some research and it seems like genetics is the most important thing when it comes to the plant changing colors. I’ve also read that temperature change, water temp,ph levels, light times can all have an effect. Is there anyone who has some first hand knowledge on the subject? assuming genetics is not a problem.

 

[snoeman032]

I’ve noticed that cooler temps can make them turn purple

 

[Mtt582]

I’ve noticed that cooler temps can make them turn purple

How low are we talking? I’ve ready as low as 50 degrees, I’ve also ready that the only thing that matters is the temp difference from night to day.

 

[hawse]

I've got a strain that will sometimes turn a beautiful deep purple, but most of the time it just shows purple on the tips of the flowers near the top. However, yes difference in day/night temps will do it, I left the window open this winter at night and got a beautiful purple harvest, however, my weaker lemon strain also got some white powdery mildew along with it, so I usually try and keep the temps warmer. I think my temp difference was like 78 day, 64 night, but that was pretty extreme really. You could try leaving them in front of a window air conditioner for a few nights last few weeks, but again, not great for the garden...

Also stress will do it sometimes, like supercropping...

 

[ChiefRunningPhist]

So I’ve been doing some research and it seems like genetics is the most important thing when it comes to the plant changing colors. I’ve also read that temperature change, water temp,ph levels, light times can all have an effect. Is there anyone who has some first hand knowledge on the subject? assuming genetics is not a problem.

UV turns mine all sorts of awesome colors when they ripening..

 

[hawse]

I forgot to add that also getting my purple strain seeded up turns it really pretty purple too oddly. Basically when the flowers swell up.. so waiting until a proper finish will do it for the right purple strains.

 

[Zephyrs]

So I’ve been doing some research and it seems like genetics is the most important thing when it comes to the plant changing colors. I’ve also read that temperature change, water temp,ph levels, light times can all have an effect. Is there anyone who has some first hand knowledge on the subject? assuming genetics is not a problem.

Actually I am testing that same thing at the moment. I made a thread of it a few day's ago here. I have three left over mama's from winter. I flipped them march 10. They have GDP in there lineage, so I have been light depriving them on 12 hr schedule. Inside at night at 7 p.m. and wake up to a 300 watt led at 7 a.m. then outside when temps hit 40 degrees or above then outside under full direct sunlight till bedtime inside. Temps in the day have been 50 -65 outside day. And 60 ish in dark outside. It's just an experiment to see how much the anthocyanins pigment will show. I'm hard into week 4 with them and they truckin right along.

 

[PURPLEB3RRYKUSH]

So I’ve been doing some research and it seems like genetics is the most important thing when it comes to the plant changing colors. I’ve also read that temperature change, water temp,ph levels, light times can all have an effect. Is there anyone who has some first hand knowledge on the subject? assuming genetics is not a problem.

Supplement laser lights make plants bud all sorts of colours depending on radiation output

 

[Dr. Who]

I think that some of you are missing a key in lower temps!

It's not just the plant above ground but, the root system is just as, if not more important to get that day/night temp swing...

Inside while trying for lower temps in rooms. I quickly noticed that outdoor plants colored faster and could get very rich and varying in color expression.
Inside plants when supplemented with K2SO4. Colored a bit quicker but, still did not keep up with outdoor.

It is also noted that indoors expressed color (actual coloring and not yellowing) in late bloom. More so the later you run....

So, the cooling of the soil containing the root ball. Is a major player in coloring naturally in bloom. I say this for simple reasons.
In nature, the air cools quickly and begins acting on the plants. As time goes by the soil also begins to cool and that helps play into the coloring effect. Now the sun comes up, warms the plant fast but the soil slower. This means cooler soil and root conditions as the soil warms slower. The roots are now not just reaching a 10-15 deg F but in a sense. holding that for the same amount of time as the air. Thing is it takes longer to cool and longer to warm. Not just getting an equalibrium in time but an offset in time relative to each at the same points.

It will be less change over all in the soil. And as the season progress's. You get cooler plant to air contact over soil/root but, that too will progress to cooler..

Light can be important. Intensity levels need to be there.

I am not of the belief that cannabis coloring is greatly effected by root zone pH.....It's a plant family thing....


Bottom line....Those pot soil temps are just as, if not more important then air temps. In my observation.

 

[Zephyrs]

I think that some of you are missing a key in lower temps!

It's not just the plant above ground but, the root system is just as, if not more important to get that day/night temp swing...

Inside while trying for lower temps in rooms. I quickly noticed that outdoor plants colored faster and could get very rich and varying in color expression.
Inside plants when supplemented with K2SO4. Colored a bit quicker but, still did not keep up with outdoor.

It is also noted that indoors expressed color (actual coloring and not yellowing) in late bloom. More so the later you run....

So, the cooling of the soil containing the root ball. Is a major player in coloring naturally in bloom. I say this for simple reasons.
In nature, the air cools quickly and begins acting on the plants. As time goes by the soil also begins to cool and that helps play into the coloring effect. Now the sun comes up, warms the plant fast but the soil slower. This means cooler soil and root conditions as the soil warms slower. The roots are now not just reaching a 10-15 deg F but in a sense. holding that for the same amount of time as the air. Thing is it takes longer to cool and longer to warm. Not just getting an equalibrium in time but an offset in time relative to each at the same points.

It will be less change over all in the soil. And as the season progress's. You get cooler plant to air contact over soil/root but, that too will progress to cooler..

Light can be important. Intensity levels need to be there.

I am not of the belief that cannabis coloring is greatly effected by root zone pH.....It's a plant family thing....


Bottom line....Those pot soil temps are just as, if not more important then air temps. In my observation.

You make a really good point. As the ones I'm trying to get to express colors, I have been thinking in the back of my mind somewhere, that I might be kinda screwing up my lil experiment by having them in 3 gallon pots. As like the Doc. say the roots temps need to be perfect. But hay it's just a time killing exp. anyway. I will see for sure in about 4 weeks.

 

[xtsho]

Genetics is the main factor in colorful buds. Low temperatures might change the color of the leaves but not so much with the actual buds.

 

[Mtt582]

Genetics is the main factor in colorful buds. Low temperatures might change the color of the leaves but not so much with the actual buds.

Nice looking buds . I’m praying the pheno gods bless me.

 

[Lordhooha]

Genetics is the main factor in colorful buds. Low temperatures might change the color of the leaves but not so much with the actual buds.

Agreed genetics are the prime factor in the plants color. I don’t advocate for lowering the temp to get what’s essentially bag appeal. Get known genetics that are known to be stable and throw a rainbow of colors.

Genetics pure and simple

 

[ZeusBarks]

PURPLE is naturally from cold shock. Cold concentrates sugars in plants (google ice wine production for more info), basically the plant knows its going to die from the cold so it puts one last total effort into its bud. This process of cold shock turns plants purple. Plants that just turn purple naturally in flower are just inbreeding trying to look like cold shock. Almost any plant will turn purple if you get it cold enough. With a cactus is happens around freezing. With some trees it take sub zero temps. It very from strain to strain but freezing temps will turn almost any pot plant purple. I had snap freeze and snow on the beach in santa cruz that turned a warehouse of tangerine deep purple years ago.

 

[Kingrow1]

Genetics is the main factor in colorful buds. Low temperatures might change the color of the leaves but not so much with the actual buds.

Is flower colour always set in these strains - id technically see a flower petal producing the same colour reguardless of environment on say a daffodil.

 

[Zephyrs]

Is flower colour always set in these strains - id technically see a flower petal producing the same colour reguardless of environment on say a daffodil.

From what I gather its the amount of anthocyanins in a particular strain, usually the Afghan lineage and such. Same with wild BlackBerry bushes and I suppose these daffodil you speak of.

 

[Dr. Who]

I agree on the strain part.
YET, I have seen better expression in a coloring strain with temp control!
Simply put, The same strain from the same mothers. Will color differently in differing temp rooms/conditions.
Plain as day, straight up too!

Our little group of breeding and strain hunting friends see differing degrees of color expression from our differing environments.
Temps and feed seem to be the major differences between us.....
In one room, I get much less temp swings from heavy insulation and instant automatic flipping of cooling to heating at lights out...
The others that don't have that? Deeper, richer colors...Earlier too.

 

[xtsho]

Is flower colour always set in these strains - id technically see a flower petal producing the same colour reguardless of environment on say a daffodil.

Pretty much some strains will always grow full of colors. The first picture is a Tikal. It's genetics are (Guatemala sativa x Kush/Haze) x Guatemala. The one I grew happened to be purple which I think is a rare pheno for that strain. The second and third photo's are a cross I made of Pakistani Chitral Kush + Panama. The color mostly came from the PCK. The fourth picture is a Congo. That one is an F1 hybrid between congolese sativas (Bangi Congo, Congo #3) and Pakistan Chitral Kush. All those genetics came from ACE seeds. If you want colorful weed you can't go wrong growing Pakistani Chitral Kush from Ace Seeds. It's a landrace indica from Pakistan. There are two pheno's. A purple and a green although I've only seen one green out of about a dozen plants I've grown.

 

[althor]

I always give my plants 3 days of darkness before cutting. I usually put them in a dark, cool place. Often I get purpling during those 3 days.

 

[Zephyrs]

I always give my plants 3 days of darkness before cutting. I usually put them in a dark, cool place. Often I get purpling during those 3 days.

I have tried the 2-3 day dark thing wi many different strains. And have noticed nothing different between that and chopping my plant after it's last 12 hr dark cycle. Temperature does play a roll in the final outcome overall.